back-to-back

1 of 2

adjective or adverb

1
: facing in opposite directions and often touching
2
: coming one after the other : consecutive

back-to-back

2 of 2

noun

plural back-to-backs
1
British : a house that is connected in a row with other houses on each side and with a similar row of houses behind it
These were where the millworkers dwelt, the worst of them known as back-to-backs because that is how they were built, without intervening space.Geoffrey Moorhouse
2
sports : a sequence of two games scheduled to be played on consecutive days
Miami began to beat elite teams and was bloodlessly efficient in the second half of back-to-backs, winning 11 in a row over a three-month stretch, a sign of a team with toughness.Jack McCallum

Examples of back-to-back in a Sentence

Adjective or adverb the three movies in the series were filmed back-to-back so that the cast members wouldn't age visibly on screen the new governor was soon facing several back-to-back crises
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective or adverb
Junk, who hadn’t walked a batter since June 9, issued back-to-back free passes to Hays and Gavin Lux to start the second. Miami Herald, 8 July 2025 Another takes a brisk walk around the block between back-to-back meetings. Ashley B. Stewart, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 La Casa de la Playa: Playa del Carmen, Mexico With just 63 suites, this back-to-back No. 1 is the smallest all-inclusive to make this year’s list of T+L’s favorite resorts in Mexico. Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025 Liverpool, in 2018 and 2019, were the last back-to-back finalists. Liam Tharme, New York Times, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for back-to-back

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective Or Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back-to-back was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Back-to-back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-to-back. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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